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WRAP: Tredwell is indeed the man of the match. And so to Kochi, where England travel next, in good form and excellent spirits. A win there and England could take a huge step to winning their first ODI series in India for 28 years. Personally, I thought their total today was a little short, and with Sehwag at the top of the order it might have been a different story. Credit to the England spinners, though, who dragged the game back after a fine start by Rahane and Gambhir. The one England player who won't be in the least bit happy with that is Graeme Swann, rested against his will and now forced to watch his replacement take four wickets. See you on Tuesday.

14.35 John Batty points out:

Astonishing that with three balls to go, India were on the same score as England were, but lose by 9 runs!

That's the extra batsman. Got to hand it to the selectors. They would have got a lot of stick for their selection if it hadn't come off. India, meanwhile, might be wondering what might have happened if they'd replaced Sharma I (10-0-86-0) with Sharma R (ODI economy 5.1).

14.30 Peter Tobin suggests Tredwell as a possible man of the match. I'm inclined to agree.

OVER 50: IND 316/9 Kumar 20* Sharma 7* ENGLAND WIN BY 9 RUNS Smiles all round as England win a one-day international in India for the first time since the Raj, or something equally unlikely. Kumar can only tap a single to short third man, and the end of a game that ended up being a lot closer than England would have wanted. Like a bit of chewing gum on the bottom of your shoe, India were inferior throughout, but England were never quite able to shake them off.

49.5 315/9 Just a single! England are home, unless Dernbach does something silly. Pipe down at the back. 11 off 1.

49.4 314/9 Kumar drives straight... into the stumps! Just a single! Ishant, if you wanted to hit your first ever six in international cricket, this would be a good time. 12 off 2.

49.3 313/9 Edged, and dropped by Kieswetter diving to his right! A tough chance, and in fairness Kieswetter saved three runs there. Crucially, Kumar back on strike. 13 off 3.

OVER 49: IND 308/9 Kumar 18* Sharma 1* Sharma gets a full toss from Bresnan. He steers it through cover. Pietersen fields on the boundary. Just a single, which means Sharma will be on strike for the final over. Dernbach to bowl it, and India need 18 runs to win.

48.4 307/8 Dinda slashes through point. Pietersen cuts it off on the rope. 19 off 8.

48.3 305/8 Just a single. 21 off 9.

48.2 304/8 No run! Drilled straight to cover! 22 off 10.

48.2 304/8 No-ball! Bresnan goes for the yorker, it ends up as a waist-high full toss, and India get a free run. 22 off 11.

48.1 303/8 FOUR! Edged by Kumar, through the slips! 23 off 11.

OVER 48: IND 299/8 Kumar 13* Dinda 1* And that, you feel, should be that. Two singles off those three balls, and India need 27 off the final 12 balls. Crucially, Kumar keeps the strike. Finn finishes with 1/63 off his 10 overs. Who's going to bowl? Dernbach? Bresnan? Patel? James Anderson, coolly striding off the plane in a pair of shades? Instead, it's Bresnan. And it's Liew, going ball-by-ball.

WICKET! Ashwin c Kieswetter b Finn 13 (8) IND 297/8 Kumar taps it straight to cover and sets off for a single. Run him out, run him out! Bell misses! Next ball, Ashwin pulls it over mid-wicket, doesn't get it cleanly, but the ball still rolls over the rope for four! Next ball, same shot, edged and taken!

OVER 47: IND 292/7 Ashwin 9* Kumar 11* It's Bresnan. And Kumar smears him through the covers for four! How are your nerves, England? Kumar is capable, make no mistake about it. He's got a first-class century to his name, and a big wooden bat and everything. Now, a top edge! Bell can't quite get there at mid-off! Two more. Kumar slashes down to third man. Two more. India need 34 off 3 overs. The nation's antipathy to Jade Dernbach is very rapidly switching to Tim Bresnan.

OVER 46: IND 281/7 Ashwin 8* Kumar 1* Ashwin, I contend, is a far better Test batsman than he is in one-day cricket. He's a sort of proto-Prior, stepping away and slashing the ball through point for four. Then an awkward sort of hoik into the leg side gets him two. Eight off the over, India need 45 off 4 overs, and they've still got just a sniff.

There’s something delightful in reading an email slating JD, only for the next graphic to pop up saying he’s just taken a wicket, writes Andrew Holgate.

OVER 45: IND 273/7 Ashwin 1* Kumar 0* It's typical of Jade Dernbach that just when you think you've formed an opinion of him, he comes on and bowls an over like that. You can't even be properly irritated by him, which is the most irritating thing of all. Kumar almost plays on too, his first ball scuttling through to Kieswetter off the inside edge. India need 53 off 5 overs, and it's going to be tough for them now.

WICKET! Jadeja b Dernbach 7 (9) IND 273/7 Short, pulled, bottom edge, and into the stumps! Dernbach has turned this match on its head! India need 53 off 31 balls, with only the tail to come.

WICKET! Dhoni c Root b Dernbach 32 (25) IND 271/6 Slower ball! Dernbach has done him! Wild, simian celebrations from Dernbach! A gigantic wicket! Out of the back of the hand, Dhoni couldn't stop the shot, and it's straight to Root at long-off! Well, he bowls a lot of filth, does Dernbach. But he's made the breakthrough here. Ashwin the new batsman.

"I am 67 years old and a bit fat," writes John Marshall. "But I was a good bowler once. Possibly twice. That seems to make me about twice as good as Jade Dernbach, and I accordingly wish to advise the Board that I am available for selection in his place. I can’t bat either."

OVER 44: IND 269/5 Dhoni 32* Jadeja 3* Tredwell can't bowl any more overs. Who now? It's Bresnan. And Dhoni wallops him into the crowd too! Bresnan was searching for the yorker, but ended up bowling a delightful half-volley just outside off-stump. Bresnan persists with the fuller length, and just about gets away with a wide that pitches on the white line. "Chalk flew up!" Dhoni would have shouted if he were John McEnroe, but it really goes without saying that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not John McEnroe. Sachin Tendulkar used to dress up as John McEnroe when he was a kid, though. That's true. India need 57 off 6 overs.

An email from Andrew Holgate:

Who says ODIs can’t be exciting? England were cruising, then wobbling, then India let them back in. Similar for India but they now need 1.6 runs a ball. Very tense.

OVER 43: IND 257/5 Dhoni 25* Jadeja 1* Bang! Dhoni smacks Patel over mid-wicket for half a dozen! India aren't finished yet, not as long as their captain's there. And again! Six more into the crowd, and Dhoni could even afford to take one hand off the bat as he played that shot. Fourteen off the over, and nervous moments for England. India need 69 off 7 overs.

OVER 42: IND 243/5 Dhoni 12* Jadeja 0* Jadeja defends his first two, and India need 83 off 8 overs. Tredwell finishes with 4/44, and that takes him past Jim Laker's record those are his best ODI figures.

WICKET! Raina c&b Tredwell 50 (49) IND 243/5 Nothing wrong with that catch! Raina gets a tame leading edge straight back to Tredwell, and England can sniff the spoils of victory! That's a fourth wicket for Tredwell, and a fine comeback after Dhoni had clouted him for six earlier in the over. Dhoni is the one man who can still win this for India. Get him, and England get home. Jadeja the new batsman.

John Batty appeals for calm:

Dernbach attracting a lot of stick, but his economy is only marginally worse than Bresnan (7.00 vs 7.12)

OVER 41: IND 235/4 Raina 49* Dhoni 5* Patel replaces that fundamental waste of blood and organs Jade Dernbach, and Raina chips him over mid-wicket. That looks like it's going to beat Root to the rope, but a superb sliding stop saves two runs. Just four off the over, and as Tredwell returns for his last over, India need to step it up. They need 91 off 9 overs.

OVER 40: IND 231/4 Raina 46* Dhoni 4* Drama in Rajkot! Raina slashes Finn to Bresnan at third man, Bresnan tumbles to take a superb low catch, but the third umpire has overturned it on replay! England are furious, Cook and Bresnan are remonstrating with umpire Ravi, who's only officiating in his fourth ODI, but the not out decision is going to stand. It was one of those catches that Bresnan took cleanly before then hitting the ground. As he hit the ground, one hand came off the ball, and given the foreshortening of the camera, it's impossible to know whether the ball touched the ground too. Is that a moment or what? England are continuing to protest, but they've got to move on now. Besides, India need 95 off 10 overs.

Peter Browne has taken a little time to compile his thoughts on Jade Dernbach, and the seasoned cricket observer offers this reasonable, considered comment:

Aaaaaargh!!!

OVER 39: IND 228/4 Raina 45* Dhoni 2* Length from Dernbach, Raina goes to slash it over cover, gets a top edge, and it drops just short of Cook at mid-off! The ball seemed to hang in the air for an age, but even then Cook had too much ground to cover. Dernbach then serves up an easy half-volley on middle-and-leg, followed by another one down the leg side. Raina lifts the first over mid-on for four, and then turns the second off his pads for four more. Dernbach really can be a complete dong sometimes. Ten off the over.

OVER 38: IND 218/4 Raina 36* Dhoni 1* The fact that Suresh Raina doesn't like the short ball is perhaps the second worst-kept secret in international cricket after Shoaib Akhtar's genital warts, and Finn decides to pepper him with a couple. These days, as anyone who watches much IPL will know, Raina plays the short ball a little better than he used to, but only because he expects it pretty much every time he comes out to bat and can set himself. Three singles off that over, and India need 108 off 12 overs. That's a round rate of 9.00.

OVER 37: IND 215/4 Raina 34* Dhoni 0* All of England groans as Jade Dernbach comes back into the attack and immediately dishes up a juicy ball on leg stump that Raina can simply help around the corner for four. This is some first-class filth from Dernbach, and no mistake. Sometimes you feel he gets a bad rap because of his bling and his tattoos and his stupid beard and the fact that he's called Jade, but sometimes he really does deserve everything that's coming to him. Next, short and wide to Dhoni, and a brilliant stop by Morgan at backward point to save four! But was that a drop? Oh, it was. It was. Morgan flew low to his left, got a hand to the ball, and although he saved four, he couldn't hold on to the ball. Dernbach gives him a round of applause nonetheless. It was a great effort. India need 111 from 13 overs.

OVER 36: IND 210/4 Raina 29* Dhoni 0* Finn returns, and Raina gets it through! A well-timed push through the covers, and once that's found the gap, it's going to race away to the boundary. And that's even better! Raina backs away and carves the ball over cover, and away for another four. Twelve off the over, and Raina has piled the pressure back on England.

OVER 35: IND 198/4 Raina 18* Dhoni 0* Dhoni can't score off either of his first two balls. Jadeja to come. Ashwin's handy, but he's not going to take England apart, as a record of just eight sixes in 179 List A and T20 matches shows. And then it's the bowlers. So a couple more wickets, and England could finish this. The batting Powerplay, with India needing 128 from 15 overs, could decide the match.

WICKET! Yuvraj Singh c Dernbach b Tredwell 61 (54) IND 198/4 THAT IS HUGE! The man most likely to finish this off in a hurry is now walking back to the hutch, swishing his bat in disgust! Silence descends on Rajkot, a silence so deep you can hear the ecstatic whoops of the England fielders. It was down the leg side from Tredwell, a wide if only Yuvraj had left it. Instead, he tried to sweep it, got a big top edge, and it looped into the hands of Dernbach, who ran around to his left to take his second simple catch of the innings. Tredwell has his third wicket. Dhoni about to face his first ball.

OVER 34: IND 196/3 Yuvraj 60* Raina 17* This is going to be a close one, isn't it? With 33 overs gone, over half of which have been bowled by spinners, it's finally time for Samit Patel. A curious decision by Cook, especially after that over, which is very good. Just three singles from it, and the run rate is now above eight for the first time.

OVER 33: IND 193/3 (Yuvraj 58* Raina 16*) But good work agani from James Tredwell, he really is keeping this dangerous pair quiet. It's like watching the school nerd confuse two school bullies with a riddle. I am going to hand over to Jonathan for a bit. Cheers.

OVER 32: IND 190/3 (Yuvraj 56* Raina 15*) Cook decides to keep the faith in Root, bringing him back on at the other end. I think they fear Yuvi and Suresh slotting Samit over midwicket, and rightly so probably. That left arm angle does rather ask for trouble. But it's hard on the inexperienced Root, who is getting a bit of pasting here. Starts with a wide, which can't do his confidence any good. Raina pulls a low full toss away for four and after a couple of singles, tucks away a wide ball with a sweep. 12 runs off the over and I think Cook needs to change this up.

OVER 31: IND 178/3 (Yuvraj 54* Raina 6*) Cometh the hour, cometh the Tredders. England were starting to look a bit panicky, but Tredwell has come on and restored some order with a two-run over. Just a single to each man.

OVER 30: IND 176/3 (Yuvraj 53* Raina 5*) More variety in that over as Dernbach produces a back-hander. Nearly gets Yuvi to spoon it. Now he slots a bouncer away, tennis style, and Samit makes a mess of the fielding on the rope, gifting a simple four. Twice in two overs England have done that. It also gives Yuvi an attractive half century and he has put England on the back foot. That said, Dernbach has him thinking in this over, varying the pace and getting him to leading edge. Quite a simple equation: 150 needed from 20.

OVER 29: IND 171/3 (Yuvraj 49* Raina 4*) Hmm, well, Root has worked well for England today but sooner or later, Yuvi was going to take a big wet bite out of him and so it has proved in this over. He sweeps and Finn misfields, that's really poor from the big lad actually. Just lets it go through him at backward square. Now another hard sweep for a second four. 11 off the over and India are on the charge again. Well, Yuvi is. Raina has hardly played a shot in anger, four runs from eight balls.

OVER 28: IND 160/3 (Yuvraj 40* Raina 2*) Dear me, no. Not that, Jade. That is a load of old tat. He's digging it in halfway down the pitch but not with enough pace or vim to get it up around the Yuvraj kisser. Yuvi climbs into two savage swivel pulls, both fours, as well as helping a wide one on its way through fine leg. With a wide to boot, that's a very ordinary over, and there are 13 off it.

OVER 27: IND 147/3 (Yuvraj 28* Raina 2*) A bonus for England as Yuvi and Raina can do no better than a single off Joe Root. Seven overs for 28 for the part-timer. Will he end up being England's best bowler on the day, just as the part-timer Jadeja was for India?

OVER 26: IND 145/3 (Yuvraj 27* Raina 1*) Stroke of luck for Yuvi as he tries to pull a short-ish ball away, doesn't get in the right position and finds a top edge. It flies away for six, could have gone to a fielder on another day. Suresh Raina, another talented but as-yet unreliable middle order man, comes in. He too should expect some short stuff.

WICKET! Kohli c Kieswetter b Bresnan 15 Awful shot! Decent ball from Bresnan, not overpitched or wide enough for the lazy drive Kohli aims at it. Edge, and regulation caught behind. India are wriggling themselves into a tight corner here. FOW 138/3 Suggestion of a puff of dust as that pitched, it may have bounced more than Virat expected.

OVER 25: IND 136/2 (Kohli 14* Yuvraj 20*) Time for a bit more Dernbach. Kohli plays a couple of attractive cuts but finds the fielders. After a single, Dernbach deals Singh a testing bouncer; Yuvi flaps at it. The next ball is short as well, although not called a bouncer by Umpire Davis. Yuvi ducks. He works the last ball of the over away for a couple but there are just three off the over all told, and at the halfway point, India need 190 from 25 overs, run rate 7.60

OVER 24: IND 133/2 (Kohli 13* Yuvraj 18*) More Bresnan, which means more bouncers to Yuvi. Makes a better fist of the first one, pulling it away hard, and it needs a good stop from Bell to save four. Five singles off the over all told.

OVER 23: IND 128/2 (Kohli 10* Yuvraj 16*) Root to bowl his sixth over. This feels a bit like pub cricket. "Dave never got a bat so we better give him a bowl." "Yeah, but Steve's brought the sandwiches, so he should open if he wants." Seems a bit harsh to make your debut on a batsman's paradise and then get shunted down the order before being made to bowl to Yuvraj and Kohli. Nevertheless, this is a decent over in the main, until the fifth ball, which Virat hammers back down the ground for four. Nine off it.

OVER 22: IND 119/2 (Kohli 5* Yuvraj 13*) Good bowling change from Cook. Remembering Bresnan roughing Yuvi over at Trent Bridge, and breaking his hand, he brings back the powerful Yorkshireman. Daft LBW shout from Bres to a ball that pitches outside leg, maybe just trying to kid the umpire on. Yuvi gets a touch of something on it and it runs away for four. Two bumpers in the over. He does not play the second one very well at all, takes his eyes off it and turns the back.

OVER 21: IND 113/2 (Kohli 4* Yuvraj 8*) Cheers Jonathan. So the spinners have clawed this back for England. Here's Tredwell. Second ball of the over gets the treatment, savage slog over cow from Yuvi that lands a few feet short of being a six. Decent comeback for the rest of the over, a wide notwithstanding and India need 213 off 29

OVER 20: IND 104/2 Kohli 2* Yuvraj 2* The appearance of the spinners has transformed this game. The same shots that were flying into the gaps and to the boundary are now finding fielders. Just one off Root's over. "On an outfield this fast, a lot depends on the part time spinners," writes John Batty. "Do England have the wrong bowling attack? Are they hoping to re-run the Test series script?" I'm handing back over to Tyers for a bit.

OVER 19: IND 103/2 Kohli 2* Yuvraj 1* Yuvraj opens the face and gets off the mark with a quick single to short third man. Bresnan shies at the bowler's end, but Yuvraj was just about home.

WICKET! Gambhir c Bell b Tredwell 52 (52) IND 102/2 The world number one's third-best spinner has done it again! Gambhir clips the ball straight to mid-wicket, and Bell holds on with safe hands! England have seized control of this game, with two new batsmen at the wicket and a required rate of over seven. You could see the bat turning in Gambhir's hands there, a sign of how little control he had over the shot.

OVER 18: IND 100/1 Gambhir 51* Kohli 1* Three huge cheers that over - Gambhir reaches fifty, Kohli gets off the mark and India reach their ton - but it's still a good over by Root.

Andy Penman has a message for his colleage Nick Henderson (see over 33):

Glad to hear you are surviving. See you back at work next week – have you entered this week’s football predictions?

Telegraph cricket live blogs - the world's Gchat.

OVER 17: IND 97/1 Gambhir 49* Kohli 0* Kohli will have to wait to face his first ball, as the batsman crossed while the ball was in the air. Gambhir then nudges a single off his pads off the last ball of the over.

WICKET! Rahane c Dernbach b Tredwell 47 (57) IND 96/1 Holed out! Tredwell's done him in the flight there, inviting Rahane to go over the top when the ball wasn't quite there for the shot. Rahane tries to lift it over cover, ends up getting too far under it and hitting it too straight, and it's a simple catch for Dernbach about 15 yards in from the long-off boundary. Kohli's the new batsman.

OVER 16: IND 95/0 Rahane 47* Gambhir 47* Rahane gets lucky there. Goes down on the sweep, and gloves it very fine around the corner for four. If you're wondering why England haven't taken the bowling Powerplay, by the way, the answer is that there isn't one, as Tyers mentioned earlier.

OVER 15: IND 89/0 Rahane 41* Gambhir 47* Clever over from Tredwell - plenty of changes in pace and flight - and only three runs. The required rate is creeping towards seven.

OVER 14: IND 86/0 Rahane 39* Gambhir 46* Like all part-time spinners - and with a first-class average of 64, he could scarcely be classified otherwise - Root has a habit of dishing out one rank ball an over. This time it's a delicious wide half volley that Rahane slashes down to the point boundary. Patel misfields and they take two.

Here's Peter Tobin:

Unless England can offer some swift damage control, my earlier suggestion of a 350 track may yet prove to be accurate.

OVER 13: IND 82/0 Rahane 36* Gambhir 45* Gambhir takes a couple of steps down the track and flicks Tredwell beautifully - beautifully! - over mid-wicket for four. Nine off the over.

OVER 12: IND 73/0 Rahane 34* Gambhir 38* Root looks tidy enough, albeit like the sort of off-spinner who's been concentrating almost exclusively on his batting since the age of about 14. Three singles, followed by some absolute filth down the leg side that Gambhir should by rights put in the Aji River. Instead, he misses the ball, and what could have been a wide at least ends up being a leg bye.

And a happy new year to you, Peter Rowntree.

Happy New Year. Can understand England's reasons for resting Swann and Anderson, but this is a very thin England bowling attack. Can't really understand why Monty Panesar isn't playing - he can hardly claim to have been overworked in England's cause in the last few months.

Ah, but he can't field. Root might cost you an extra 20 runs with the ball, but he'll earn that back with the bat, and maybe another five in the field. That's a strictly Moneyball analysis, of course.

OVER 11: IND 69/0 Rahane 32* Gambhir 37* Bresnan has a blow after two expensive overs, and James Tredwell, a heartening throwback to English off-spinners of old (ie not very good) has a go in his place. To be fair, Tredwell's trundling skimmers may be just what England need on this sort of surface, and his first over is a good one. Kieswetter reckons he's got Gambhir run out as he tips the ball into the leg side and returns for a swift second run, but he couldn't see that Gambhir had made his ground by a good 18 inches, and Gambhir is rightly given not out after a TV review. Spin from both ends now, as Joe Root has a bowl on debut.

OVER 10: IND 66/0 Rahane 31* Gambhir 35* Another decent over ruined by a boundary off the last ball. Finn pins the Indian batsmen back on the crease, restricting them to the chop down to third man and the flick off the hip. But then Gambhir times his flick beautifully, getting it fine and getting four. Well, you can't put a fielder everywhere. This is the sort of pitch where you can guarantee England will give away a few cheap boundaries, and further guarantee that Ian Botham will rant and rave about it.

OVER 9: IND 60/0 Rahane 30* Gambhir 30* Bresnan tries the same tack - just short of a length with plenty of fielders square of the wicket - and that's not bad either. Just five from that over. India still need well over a run a ball, so no need for England to panic yet, unless you take into account the pitch, India's batting, the lessons of history and the fact that England's fifth bowler appears to be a mixture of Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen and Joe Root.

OVER 8: IND 55/0 Rahane 28* Gambhir 27* Finn switches ends, and instantly looks more threatening. A slip and a short cover in place for Gambhir, and Finn bowls him a very tight line, just short of a length. Five dot balls and then a quick single into the gully. Nice over.

OVER 7: IND 54/0 Rahane 28* Gambhir 26* Bresnan into the attack, replacing Finn, and Rahane turns him into the leg side for a hasty two. Another two off his legs brings up the 50 partnership, India's first opening stand to reach 50 for almost a year. But a decent over becomes a dirty stain when Bresnan strays down leg and Rahane can turn the last ball around the corner for four. Ten off the over.

OVER 6: IND 44/0 Rahane 19* Gambhir 25* Six runs - only six runs! - off that Dernbach over. Rahane tries to late cut and edges through the slips for four, but the rest of the over is fairly tight. Dernbach even gets Rahane to play and miss at one of them. So, morning everyone. This has a familiar ring, doesn't it? A threadbare attack, a belting wicket, a high but unremarkable total to defend, and England in disarray. This, if I'm not mistaken, is Headingley 2006 all over again. If you don't remember what happened, England ran up about 320, and Sri Lanka knocked off the runs in about 35 overs.

OVER 5: IND 38/0 (Rahane 14* Gambhir 24*) Jeepers creepers, Gambhir is bringing the pain to Steve Finn here. Too short, and GG flips that for four. Now a touch of good fortune as he fiddles at the ball and gets an inside edge that beats the keeper. Too short again from Finn and Gambhir dabs it with an artist's touch, the ball races through the slips and it's four, four, four. Finn struggling, and overpitches. Single. Rahane joins in the fun by clipping a short, legside ball away for the eighth boundary of the innings, and the home side have got off to a flyer. I am going to desert the bridge in this time of crisis and hand you over to Jonathan Liew for an hour. Hi, Jonathan. See you in a bit, readers.

OVER 4: IND 21/0 (Rahane 10* Gambhir 11*) Poor over from Jade. Oh, Jade. Wide ball is an invitation to cut that Gambhir does not refuse. Jade (Jade) does hit Rahane on the pads with one that comes back in, but no dice on the appeal. Now he's too short and Rahane puls that away with relish. Were it not for some handing fielding from IR Bell in the covers, there would have been a further boundary.

OVER 3: IND 12/0 (Rahane 6* Gambhir 6*) Quality over from Finny. Sharp bouncer is no fun at all for Rahane. And these new regs mean that he can bowl two of those in an over, so Gambhir cannot get on the front foot with impunity as he would have been able to in the olden days (i.e. October). I reckon that the rule changes in ODI cricket of late, especially the whole 'new ball at each end' bit have helped England more than most. Anyhow. No doubt they will all change again soon. Finn digs the last ball of the over in short and GG turns it away not entirely confidently.

OVER 2: IND 10/0 (Rahane 5* Gambhir 5*) Jade Dernbach. I'm still not sure if I like Jade or not. I admire his willingness to experiment, and he's certainly a thinking, innovative, modern cricketer. On the other hand: girl's name; tendency to get it badly wrong. He starts with a short ball down the leg side, utter roobish, and Gambhir tickles that fine for a freebie boundary. Rest of the over is decent, though. No zany slower stuff in this over. Couple of singles.

OVER 1: IND 4/0 (Rahane 4* Gambhir 0*) Three good balls from Finn to start with, nice line. But then he strays legside off the fourth ball and Rahane tucks that away with the minimum of fuss. No further damage done, though, and England are happy with four off the over.

10.40 Right then. England have runs in the bank and a battery of exciting young bowlers. India have the use of a very good pitch and tons of power and experience. Shouldbe a good chase. Steve Finn will lead things off, Ajinkya Rahane is on strike.

ENGLAND SCORE 325/4 So England have got a total that's a little above par, a good solid opening bid. Not as stellar as it looks at first glance, if you are just joining us, because this is a lovely pitch to bat on, and one of the fastest outfields you'll ever see. Cook and Bell made a classy start, but just allowed themselves to get a tiny bit bogged down. They fell in quick succession, Pietersen and Morgan both took their time to get going, and each of England's big guns fell for 40-odd just as he was looking dangerous. For most of the second half of the innings it looked like England would come up short, but Samit Patel at the end has bashed his side ahead of the game with a 20-ball 44. We'll find out how India get on in reply shortly...

OVER 50: ENG 325/4 (Kieswetter 24* Patel 44*) Oh, BuKu. This is another bad over for India, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar won't have enjoyed that. Too wide: Samit slaps it for four. Too full: Samit drives it back down the ground for four. Too dreadful full toss: Patel murders it over long off for six. He adds a two down the ground, making 18 off the over. 38 runs off the last two overs and Samit Patel has played a little beauty of a knock there. 20 balls for 44 runs and England will be pleased with that.

OVER 49: ENG 307/4 (Kieswetter 23* Patel 27*) It's Ishant - and England have got his number. In the slot for Kieswetter and he drives that hard and true through long off. Poor cricket all round for India, Dhoni should definitely have one of his men back at long off. I mean, that is the place CK hits it, after all. After a single, Ishant tries a slower one to Samit but he's got it covered. Pulls away for four. Next ball, Samit gets lucky as his outisde edge flies away for four. Single, and now another poor ball, right on a length and if Kieswetter could order up the bowling of his choice, that would be it: inside out, gives himself room, and that's a big six. Fully 20 runs off the over, and Ishant has the worst analysis by an Indian v England in an ODI. Ten overs for 86 - and two of them were maidens! This is hurting India badly right at the death.

OVER 48: ENG 287/4 (Kieswetter 12* Patel 18*) It'sBhuvneshwar Kumar, known to his friends (well, to Pete in Bath in over 31) as BuKu. He's going through the variations, a couple of balls out the back or side of the hand. One works like a charm - but another ball goes for a mega wide. Unconventional fare, but it keeps the batsmen guessing and even with two balls called wide, that's only seven off the over which will do nicely at this stage.

OVER 47: ENG 279/4 (Kieswetter 10* Patel 14*) Too short from Ishant, and Samit pulls him away like a man tucking into a delicious Nandos with a lasagne on the side. And some jelly. And perhaps a few chips. But now Kieswetter gets hold of one! He spots Ishant's slower cutter and wallops it over cow corner for a much-needed six. 13 off the over and that 300 is back on.

OVER 46: ENG 266/4 (Kieswetter 4* Patel 7*) Interesting illustration of the new playing regulations in that Dinda over. Now that you need to have five men in the ring, where do you put your four deeper fellows? It probably means having mid off up. In the old money, he would most likely have been back, but not today - and so Samit is able to loft a length ball over that man for a boundary. Nicely played, Samit. But once again, England cannot really hurt India with a big over. Single to Patel but Kieswetter is unable to get the ball through the offside field. Ten-ball four for him so far.

OVER 45: ENG 261/4 (Kieswetter 4* Patel 2*) Ishant back on. Starts with two wides, but a good recovery after that. Singles and dots. Six off the over.

Peter says: "Hi Alan, the sun is breaking through in Joburg but there's a dark cloud settling over England in Rajkot. It looks like they are going to come up with a below par total for the pitch so the changeover briefing for England's bowlers begins to look key."

OVER 44: ENG 255/4 (Kieswetter 2* Patel 0*) So decent effort from Dinda, removing England's big two in consecutive overs. England needed a bit more from one of them to get into a winning position. 300 now looks like the very summit of their ambitions.

WICKET! Pietersen c Kohli b Dinda 44 And after a pretty filthy set of overs so far, Dinda has turned it around with another big wicket. Length ball, KP goes for it, and manages only to pick out Kohli down the ground. Good low catch tumbling forward FOW 255/4

Andrew Holgate: "Morning Tyers. Little bit shocked that Cook hasn’t scored a ton today, afterall he is on Indian soil. Perhaps he had too much turkey and mince pies during the festive break. Run rate needs to be higher and our bowlers on song if we are to win this one."

OVER 43: ENG 251/3 (KP 41* Kieswetter 1*) Jadeja still giving England nothing and he concedes only three off the over. That is the end of his ten overs and he has gone for 46, a really good return for the fifth bowler.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Dave Tickner - Root's manoeuvred further down the order.&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 42: ENG 248/3 (KP 39*) That wicket came off the last ball of the over - and it looks like Craig Kieswetter is coming out to bat. Joe Root could be forgiven for taking this personally!

WICKET! Morgan c and b Dinda 41 It's all happened in this over! Dinda. Morgan slaughtered the ball over long on for a six, and then picks out the slower ball and bashes it over the infield for four. But there's just two singles off the next three balls before Morgan drives the ball back at the bowler and Dinda gets down low. As he tumbles, there is a possiblity that he has grounded the ball. Has he caught it? Or has it hit the ground? The umps have a check on the replays and the catch is good. Morgan out! FOW 248/3

OVER 41: ENG 236/2 (KP 38* Morgan 30*) Jadeja is back into the fray and his good work continues as he keeps England to four singles

OVER 40: ENG 232/2 (KP 36* Morgan 28*) Not great from Ishant. Too balls twoo wide outside off. One too full, and Morgs drives that hard for four. One too short, and a cut brings the same result. Ishant over-corrects, now too straight and the ball's right in the slot for Morgan to loft the ball over wide long on for a six. That makes 15 off the over, and the powerplay has altogether produced 44; not bad at all given that the first two overs went for six.

OVER 39: ENG 217/2 (KP 35* Morgan 14*) Ashwin. Again trying that jerky action where he pauses in mid-delivery. KP seems to like it: cracks a cut for four, and then strokes a powerful sx down the ground. 13 off this over and this is more the ticket. KP has 22 from his last nine balls. If Morgs can get going as well...

OVER 38: ENG 204/2 (KP 26* Morgan 14*) Pietersen tries to slog Ishant, flat-batted down the ground. Doesn't time it at all and is lucky that it loops over the tall Ashwin at mid on. Four. KP tries a flamingo shot but it's the slower ball and he fails to connect. It turns into a better over for England, however, when Kev drives down the ground for a second boundary. Not brilliant on the boundary but the ground is in shadow there and I am not 100% sure who it is. To reach the 300 that was widely assumed to be a minimum, England will need eight an over from here on in.

OVER 37: ENG 194/2 (KP 13* Morgan 13*) Ashwin will resume. Single to Morgan. He does that stopping thing off the second ball, KP tickles it away for one. Now Morgan smears the ball into the legside and is lucky that it lands short of mid on. Only singles in the over, so that's six off two overs of 'power'play.

OVER 36: ENG 189/2 (KP 11* Morgan 10*) Ishant will bowl the first powerplay over. Meh. Only one run off the over... and indeed it could and should have been worse. Morgan pushed the ball into the covers and ran, he had to dive home and would have been well out had there been a direct hit. KP reckons that a bouncer should have been called a wide on height, but it wasn't. He picks out the offside fielders with a couple of firm shots and there's no joy. Drinks.

OVER 35: ENG 188/2 (KP 11* Morgan 9*) Another good over for India as Jadeja is allowed to do his decent but limited thang for just three singles. England are now obliged to take their five-over powerplay. Meanwhile, New Zealand are in Port Elizabeth for the Second Test. South Africa bat.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Andrew McGlashan - Nasty blow for Smith from Bracewell. Struck on back of the helmet as he takes his eye off the ball. &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=savnz" target="_blank"&gt;#savnz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 34: ENG 185/2 (KP 10* Morgan 7*) This pair looking like they've got the measure of Raina now. Three simple singles, and Morgan cashes in on a short ball, cracking it through the offside for four. Morgan's in a cap.

OVER 33: ENG 178/2 (KP 9* Morgan 1*) Jadeja. Nice back foot punch from KP gives him four. Shot. After failing to connect with a reverse sweep, Morgan finally gets off the mark at the seventh time of asking. No need to panic just yet, it can all change very quickly with Morgan at the crease, and KP too for that matter.

"Hi there," writes Nick Henderson, from London (currently in northern Kerala). "Any chance I can get a shout out for my mate Hugo? We're big cricket fans and are travelling the 3,000kms from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to Kochi in Kerala in nothing more than a lowly tuk-tuk , all to raise money for the superb Frank Water Projects. Best of all, we're doing it in whites, have brought bat and ball and also painted stumps on the back of the tuk-tuk so we can play vs all the kids around the country! Cheers, and come on England!!!"

OVER 32: ENG 172/2 (KP 4* Morgan 0*) Joe Root was down on the card at four, but it's no great surprise to see Eoin Morgan promoted ahead of him. England need to get going again, and Morgs should be the man. That said, he cannot score off his first four balls and Suresh Raina has himself four overs, one wicket for 11.

WICKET! Cook c Rahane b Raina 75 Ah, you felt that might be coming. Perhaps annoyed at missing out on another legside wide one from Raina, Cook now sweeps a straight one, the ball pops up on him a bit and the top edge floats to Rahane at short fine leg for the easiest catch you will ever see. FOW 172/2

OVER 31: ENG 171/1 (Cook 75* KP 4*) Another handy over for the hosts, four singles. Two of them to KP off his pads, two of them to Cook from sweeps. Come on the E, get stuck in.

OVER 30: ENG 167/1 (Cook 73* KP 2*) Wonderful shot from Cook, coming down the pitch and giving himself a bit of room to drive Raina through long off for four. But skipper is annoyed with himself for missing out on a legside ball that is called a wide. Should have mashed it. Three overs from Raina for ten runs, doing a good job for his captain.

OVER 29: ENG 162/1 (Cook 69* KP 2*) With KP in, Dhoni turns to the left-armer Jadeja. Wot no Yuvi? Another handy little over for India, only three runs from it and England are now in danger of getting bogged down.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Simon Wilde - Small victory for Duncan and Co. Fair to say that Sehwag would probably not have managed a direct hit from there&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 28: ENG 159/1 (Cook 68* KP 1*) That's a strange one, really. England were going nicely, perhaps they felt that they weren't scoring quite quickly enough against the part-timer Raina. Still, it brings Pietersen in - can he accelerate? He's off the mark right away, but Raina has given up only five from two overs.

WICKET! Bell run out 85 More Raina - who finds a little bit of turn, actually. But more to the point, Cook plays it off his pad to short fine leg and goes for a single. Bell to the danger end, the keeper's end. Direct hit from Rahane! This is tight. Very tight! I tell you what, it's not that tight... he's run out by nine inches or so and that's the end of Belly at 158/1. Shame.

OVER 27: ENG 157/0 (Cook 68* Bell 84*) Encouraged by that over, Dhoni risks a bit of Kohli's medium pace. Decent enough start, two singles from the first three - but then a filthy ball that Bell helps on its way to the legside boundary. Wide ball outside off produces a simple two, and then another single, so that's nine off the over without getting out of second gear.

OVER 26: ENG 148/0 (Cook 67* Bell 76*) Suresh Raina is into the attack. Solid stuff, only three from it. Cook launches himself at one ball and is lucky that his outside edge lands safely over where slip would be. Such luck as there has been so far has been with England, I think it is fair to say. I also think that England need to be doing better than three an over against the part-timers on this deck. Aren't I just full of opinions this morning?

OVER 25: ENG 145/0 (Cook 66* Bell 74*) Dinda oversteps, Cook tucks it away for one and Bell will have a chance at the free hit... Wait, he is changing his bat. Specifically for this?! Surely just a coincidence. Bell can only pick out long on with a drive along the ground. Just one. Oh dear, and now another front foot no ball from Dinda. Harsh call, but probably correct. Dinda gets out of jail once again, a wide swinging ball defeats Cook and he can't get bat on it. Anyhoo, so even with the two no balls, Dinda has only coughed up seven off the over and, at halfway, the game is nicely poised.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: World Cricket Show - I imagine Alastair Cook is to Indian fans what Amla was to English fans last summer. A demoralisingly constant presence &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=IndvEng" target="_blank"&gt;#IndvEng&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 24: ENG 138/0 (Cook 63* Bell 72*) Oooh yeah, this is good gear from Cook. He strokes the ball over long off for a controlled, classy six. In response, Ashwin drops a bit short, and Cook is able to pull that away for four. Nicely batted. There's an ODI in Melbourne as we speak, Aussies made 305, but Sri Lanka are already 18/2 in reply, so...

Peter Tobin says: "Hi Alan from an overcast Joburg. After a solid start it's surely time to up the run rate? My guess is this might be a 350 strip and it would be a missed opportunity to finish with too many wickets in hand without setting a challenging total. PS Good to see Bell's form has stabilised!"

OVER 23: ENG 127/0 (Cook 53* Bell 71*) Dinda. After a couple of dot balls, Bell comes down the track and swats it baseball style back at the bowler. Bhuvneshwar Kumar fails to stop it but there's a man cleaning up and that's just a single. Only three off the over all told, Dinda varying his lengths well enough to keep Bell guessing.

OVER 22: ENG 124/0 (Cook 52* Bell 69*) Five singles off that Ashwin over. Should England take the PP now, one wonders? Touch of good fortune for Bell when he top-edges a sweep and sees it land safe.

OVER 21: ENG 119/0 (Cook 50* Bell 66*) Dinda.Blimey, now Gautam Gambhir gets in on the fielding act. India really have had their Weetabix. Good stop from GG out on the boundary as Belly cuts through point. But nothing any fielder can do about this one - another poor ball from Dinda, telegraphed slower ball and Bell mashes that over extra cover for four. The run rate is heading in the right direction. UP to 5.66 now. I really do think England will need 300 though.

OVER 20: ENG 112/0 (Cook 50* Bell 59*) Ashwin changes end. His wraparound sunglasses make him seem more Gilo-ish than ever. He's a very useful cricketer. Cook lofts the ball attractively over mid off four, and then takes a single to give him a well-made 50. A run-a-ball 50, in fact.

OVER 19: ENG 105/0 (Cook 45* Bell 57*) Time for a bit of a bowl from fielding hero Dinda. Cook drives him through the off side and Rahane dives over the ball at extra cover. Yuk. Width from Dinda, who is not bowling well at all, and Cook pet-areas that away for four through point. Still, the second half of the over is decent, three dots. Hundred up for England, and that is drinks.

OVER 18: ENG 97/0 (Cook 37* Bell 57*) Cook, who has grown so much as a limited-overs batsman over the last year or two, produces a deft reverse sweep for four. 43 from eight overs of spin so far. Both sides reasonably happy at this point, I fancy. You can back England at 1.58 or India at 2.6... Not so sure it's that much in England's favour on this true, tame pitch and rapid outfield.

Arup writes: "Inside the Lord's media centre can feel a touch tinny (just my feeling though). They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – so its good that Rajkot echoes Lords. But while Lords has developed a sophisticated ground drainage-system, Rajkot needs a rain-dance system for more water from the rain-gods."

OVER 17: ENG 91/0 (Cook 32* Bell 56*) Cook sweeps Ashwin and there's a decent bit of fielding on the boundary by Dinda to keep it to two. The crowd cheer him like he's just won the World Cup, but I suppose if you were used to watching this Indian team field, you would cheer any half-decent stop in the deep. Cook tries another sweep and he's pinged this one, no stopping that. Four. no turn for the spinners and this is all going nicely for England one-third of the way through their dig.

OVER 16: ENG 82/0 (Cook 25* Bell 55*) Jadeja. Good over for England. After a brace of singles, Bell dinks the ball past slip and gets himself the four which brings up his fifty. Nicely batted, albeit in friendly conditions. Now he slides a ball past point for two more. Belly batting in a cap now.

OVER 15: ENG 74/0 (Cook 24* Bell 48*) Cook unpacks the sweep, and it produces one of four singles in this Ashwin over.

OVER 14: ENG 70/0 (Cook 22* Bell 46*) That is a delightful shot from Bell, again. Just a stride down the pitch and a well-timed swing, and the ball sails over long off for six. Beautiful. That said though, good recovery from Jadeja, five dot balls after the maximum.

OVER 13: ENG 64/0 (Cook 22* Bell 40*) The England openers continue to set a nice platform, they seem content enough with that. India, for their part, are happy with just three off the Ashwin over. The most interesting factor of the over was a sighting of Ashwin's jerky, stop-arm delivery, which Bell picks out fine. Couple to him through the covers and then a single.

OVER 12: ENG 61/0 (Cook 22* Bell 37*) Jadeja on from the other end. Three singles, and then Cook goes for another ugly heave; this time he gets a bit of bottom edge onto his foot and it dribbles to leg slip. Paul Allot, on the commentary, describes it as "a thrunge". A cross between a thrash and a lunge, maybe? Good start from Jadeja, just three off this over.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Dave Tickner - ICC tinker with the ODI playing regs, and still the 11th over of the innings brings its inevitable four singles.&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 11: ENG 58/0 (Cook 21* Bell 35*) Early signs that we may be entering everyone's favourite part of an ODI. Indeed, everyone's favourite part of any sporting contest. A finger spinner on. Two accumulator batsmen at the crease. No risky shots. Yes, it's an early shout for THE QUIET MIDDLE OVERS. R Ashwin is the non-turning spinner, and there are four singles.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Alternative Cricket - STAT: England have won just one of their last 16 ODIs in India. &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=INDvsENG" target="_blank"&gt;#INDvsENG&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 10: ENG 54/0 (Cook 19* Bell 33*) Ashok Dinda, also a right-arm fast-medium man, comes into the attack in place of Ishant. Not much of a start from him. A wide down leg, and then another one - an appeal for caught behind notwithstanding. Think that flicked the Cook trousers. In between those, an ugly heave and a miss from Cook - rather uncharacteristic. Now Cook chips a ball over the leg side for a cheap four. Not much of an over, but overall, on this nice deck and quick outfield, India would probably take 54 runs from the ten powerplay overs.

OVER 9: ENG 47/0 (Cook 14* Bell 33*) A couple of glorious shots from Bell. He shimmies down the pitch to turn a length ball into a half volley and creams that past the bowler for four. Bhuvneshwar offers width next ball and Bell strokes that away for a delightful cover drive.

OVER 8: ENG 37/0 (Cook 14* Bell 23*) Ishant comes around the wicket to Cook and sends down a tight maiden. Either one thing or the other with Ishant so far today. His four overs have gone for 9, 0, 12, 0. A maiden is a handy thing on a pitch like this - the outfield is super quick as well. Nasser says England need 300 at least, and it certainly looks that way.

OVER 7: ENG 37/0 (Cook 14* Bell 23*) That looks a really good LBW appeal to me, as Bhuvneshwar brings the ball back into Bell and pins him on the crease. Umpire Steve Davis seems to think it was going down leg. Or height? I dunno. I would have given that, personally. Anyhow, not out, and Bell drives through the offside for another four.

OVER 6: ENG 33/0 (Cook 14* Bell 19*) His last one was a maiden, but this is a rank over from Ishant. Two balls are short and wide, Cook carves them away merrily for a couple of fours. Second one a bit edgy but so much space out there that he can just carve it away. Now another wide ball from Ishant, this one too full, and Cook crunches that away off the front foot to make it 12 off the over all told.

OVER 5: ENG 21/0 (Cook 2* Bell 19*) Ick, that won't do Dhoni's confidence any good at all. A good nut from Bhuvneshwar, finds the edge, and Dhoni just watches it sail between himself and first slip. A chance! And one that the man with the gloves on should be going for, I might add. That goes for four, and Bell adds a single to it. Optimistic appeal for LBW to a ball that hits Bell well outside the line.

OVER 4: ENG 16/0 (Cook 1* Bell 15*) A very good over from Ishant, good tight line and length, nothing for Bell to hit there at all and he has to be content with a maiden.

Arup Saikia (Mumbai) writes: "Morning Alan and greetings for the new year. Would have rated you the Bravest of All Time had you covered the India-Pakistan T20 game on Christmas Day. England should do well in the current ODI series, possibly 3-2 in their favour. At least they try out youngsters and different combinations with the World Cup in mind." I did watch that Xmas Day match, though. Good stuff. Some entertaining cricket between India and Pakistan over the holidays, wasn't there? They shared the two T20s and Pakistan won the first of two ODIs, India taking the honours in the dead rubber. A Pakistani friend told me "our boys let them win the last one because the Indian players were getting threats to their homes! It was the kind thing to do." He was joking. I think he was joking, anyhow.

OVER 3: ENG 16/0 (Cook 1* Bell 15*) A poor ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar - who is going to need a nickname pretty quickly if he is going to be making many more appearances on our OBO blogs. Short and wide, no pace. It sits up and begs Bell to slap it away for four, which he does. A single though the same region. This looks a nice pitch for a bat.

Those as are trying to keep up with the ever-changing ODI rules will note that we've done away with the bowling powerplay. Now we have ten overs at the start of the innings of powerplay, and then a batting powerplay that must be taken before the 40th over. Only four men allowed outside the circle in non-powerplays.

OVER 2: ENG 11/0 (Cook 1* Bell 10*) It's Ishant Sharma to open from the other end. First delivery keeps a little low, but now a ball climbs on Bell rather and he slides it off the shoulder of the bat through where third slip would be. That rattles away for four, not a controlled shot. Down at that end of the ground, there is a media centre that is the dead spit of the one at Lord's. Now Bell tucks the ball into the onside and they hurry through for a safe one; Jadeja throws down the stumps and it runs away for four overthrows! You could call that unlucky, or a bit silly, given that Bell was always getting home. I think he probably had to go for it, on balance.

OVER 1: ENG 2/0 (Cook 1* Bell 1*) And that's a good start from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, playing his fourth ODI. He slants it across Cook, who gets a single behind point off the third ball. Angles the ball back into Bell, hint of seam, and the Warwickshire man joins his skipper in a single. Just two off the over.

06.29 Anyhow, that's for later. The first order of business is for England to post a big total on what looks a very good batting deck. Pressure, I would say, is all on India, after losing 2-1 to arch rivals Pakistan. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the 22-year-old right arm fast(ish) medium man from Uttar Pradesh will open up. They're queuing miles back to get into the stadium I hear, this is the first international match at the ground. Domestic matches at the ground have tended to produce big scores.

06.25 It will be interesting to see how the new regulations change things. You would have to think that the chance to bowl another bouncer would help England in general, and specifically against an Indian middle order with the likes of Raina and Yuvraj in it. It is an inexperienced England bowling attack, though: as Ashley Giles says "it seems strange to say so, but Steve Finn is the senior bowler". David Saker admits that they bowled too many bouncers in their warm-up match against India A.

06.15 England are top of the ODI rankings, remember, for those who are bothered for those sort of things: that's down to winning an impressive 12 of 17 matches in 2012. Bear in mind that they lost 5-0 in India the last time they went there for an ODI series, so, a chance to right some of those wrongs. The weather in Rajkot, by the way, looks lovely.

06.10 It wouldn't be a new ODI series without some new ODI regulations; one fewer fielder is allowed outside the ring and there are two bouncers permitted in an over not one.

06.07 Here's the teams in full, then. And doesn't that look a stronger batting line-up with one K Pietersen back in the fold?

06.01 Alastair Cook calls heads at the toss - and he's got it right. England will bat. Both he and MSD are of the opinion that the pitch looks like a batsman's dream, both are tipping a high scoring game, with Dhoni saying that he too would have opted for first use of the facilities. And the team news is that Joe Root makes his debut.

06.00 Morning all and welcome to our live blog coverage of the first ODI.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Sky Sports Cricket - Early news from ground is of a cap presentation to Joe Root... Teams news at the toss in 8 minutes&lt;/noframe&gt;